Method and apparatus for controlling pay-off of wire from a coil to a wire processing machine

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for controlling pay-off of wire from a coil to a wire processing machine having a wire feed mechanism for withdrawing the wire from the coil in which the coil is supported on a rotatable pay-off reel. A releasable wire gripper is attached to the tail end of the coil on the reel and the gripper is anchored to the pay-off reel by an elongated flexible connector wound around the coil and having a length sufficient to extend from the reel to the processing machine. A brake mechanism is provided for controlling rotation of the reel and to control tension in the wire as it unwinds from the reel and to maintain tension on the flexible connector as the tail end of the coil exits from the reel to thereby restrain whipping of the tail end of the wire.

United States Patent [191 Guthrie June 11, 1974 Inventor: Robert M. Guthrie, Rockford, Ill.

Fastener Engineers, Inc., Rockford, 111.

Filed: Mar. 19, 1973 Appl. No.: 342,538

Assignee:

US. Cl 242/54 R, 242/78, 242/l25.l, 242/129 Int. Cl B65h 75/28' Field of Search 242/l25.1, 125.2, 125, 242/129, 54 R, 78, 1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1952 Brown 242/125.1 UX 2/1965 Germain 242/129 Primary ExaminerGeorge' F. Mautz Attorney, Agent, or FirmMorsbach, Pillote & Muir [5 7 ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for controlling pay-off of wire from a coil to a wire processing machine having a wire feed mechanism for withdrawing the wire from .the coil in which the coil is supported on a rotatable pay-off reel. A releasable wire gripper is attached to the tail end of the coil on the reel and the gripper is anchored to the pay-off reel by an elongated flexible connector wound around the coil and having a length sufficient to extend from the reel to the processing machine. A brake mechanism is provided for controlling rotation of the reel and to control tension in the wire as it unwinds from the reel and to maintain tension on the flexible connector as the tail end of the coil exits from the reel to thereby restrain whipping of the tail end of the wire.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING PAY-OFF OF WIRE FROM A COIL TO A WIRE PROCESSING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various different wire processing machines including wire straightening and cutting machines, wire drawing machines, cold forming machines, automatic screw machines and the like have their own wire feed mechanism which operates either intermittently or continuously to withdraw wire from a coil and to feed the wire through the processing machine. It has heretofore been proposed, for example as disclosed in the patent to Germain, U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,262, to support the coil of wire on a rotatable coil holder or pay-off reel and to provide a brake for controlling rotation of the pay-off reel to inhibit overrunning of the reel and to control the tension on the wires as it unwinds from the coil. Problems are encountered, however, when the tail end of the wire in the coil exits from the reel. Hard and high alloy steel wires tend to straighten as they unwind from the coil and there is a dangerous whipping when the tail end of the coil of such wire exits from the pay-off reel. On the other hand, ordinary steel wire tends to take a set when formed into a coil and this set produces a large hook-like formation at the end of the wire as it exits from the reel, which hook also presents a danger to persons in the area as the coil end passes from the reel to the processing machine. Prior attempts to overcome this problem involved the use of elongated wire guides, such as those shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,l68,262, and which guides extended from the pay-off reel to the wire processing machine and were constructed to laterally confine the wire as it passed from the reel to the processing machine. Such wire guides were not only relatively long and cumbersome and expensive to make, but also markedly complicated the problem of threading the lead end of the wire from the pay-off reel to the processing machine.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for controlling the pay-off of wire from a coil in which the tail end of the wire in the coil is maintained under tension as it exits from the wire pay-off reel and moves to the processing machine, to restrain whipping of the tail end of the coil.

The present invention provides a method of controlling pay-off wire from a coil to a processing machine having a feed mechanism for withdrawing the wire from a coil in which the coil of wire is supported on a rotatable wire pay-off reel, a wire gripper is releasably attached to the tail end of the coil on the reel and the gripper is anchored to the reel by an elongated flexible connector that is wrapped around the reel and has a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the processing machine, and the rotation of the reel is controlled to control tension in the wire as it unwinds from the reel and also to maintain tension in the flexible connector as the tail end of the coil exits from the reel to restrain whipping of the wire end, and the gripper is released from the wire end when the tail end of the wire reaches a location adjacent the processing machine to allow continued passage of the wire through the processing machine.

These, together with other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a wire pay-off reel associated with a wire processing machine and having the coil end restrain er of the present invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view' taken on the plane 2-2 of HG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a view on a larger scale illustrating the wire gripper and flexible connector of the coil end restrainer.

The method and apparatus of the present invention is arranged for controlling the pay-off of wire from a coil designated C to a wire processing machine such as a wire straightening and cutting machine; wire drawing machine; cold forming machine; automatic screw machine and the like having its own wire feed mechanism which operates either intermittently or continuously as required by the particular machine to withdraw wire from the coil and to feed the wire through the processing machine. As diagrammatically illustrated in FlGS. l and 2, the processing machine 10 has a feed mechanism 1] herein illustrated in the form of feed rolls which are driven through a feed roll drive mechanism 12 in timed relation with the processing machine. The coil of wire C is supported on a rotatable pay-off reel 14 conveniently in the form of a turntable 15 supported for rotation about an upright axis 16, it being understood that the reel could be supported for rotation about a horizontal axis, if desired. The pay-off reel illustrated includes an internal coil holder conveniently in the form of a plurality of coil engaging members 17 arranged to extend internally of the coil C, and holddown or retainer members 18 swingably mounted as by pins 19 on the coil engaging member 17 for movement between a loading position extending generally axially of the reel and an operative position as shown in the drawings extending generally transverse to the reel axis in overlying relation to the coil to inhibit dislodgement of the coil turns from the reel. At the start of an operation, the lead end of the wire in the coil is passed through the wire feed mechanism 11 to the wire processing machine 10 and the feed mechanism operates either intermittently or continuously as required by the particular wire processing machine to withdraw wire from the coil and to advance the withdrawn wire through the processing machine. A brake mechanism is provided to control rotation of the pay-off reel to both inhibit coasting of the reel when the withdrawal of wire is interrupted, and to maintain tension on the wire. The brake mechanism used for retarding rotation of the reel can be of any suitable type such as a friction type brake or an electro-magnetic type brake. ln the embodiment illustrated, the reel support shaft 16 is connected as through a chain drive 21 and speed reducer 22 and chain drive 23 to a torque motor 24 which is operative to maintain a free set generally constant torque. Such torque motors are themselves old and are specially wound induction motors capable of withstanding stalling and even rotation in a direction counter to the motoring direction of rotation for prolonged periods without overheating. The toque motors are arranged to apply a driving torque to the pay-off reel in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the reel during unwinding of the coil and operate to maintain a controlled braking action on the payoff reel 14, which braking action is adjustable in a well-known manner by varying the E.M.F. applied to the torque motor.

In order to restrain whipping of the tail end of the coil as it exits from the reel and passes to the wire processing machine, a coil end restrainer is provided and which includes a releasable wire gripper 31 which is adapted to releasably grip the tail end of the wire, an elongated flexible connector 32 which is attached at one end by a cable end fitting 33 to the releasable wire gripper and which is wrapped around the pay-off reel to unwind therefrom in the same direction as the wire in the coil and has its other end anchored to the reel by a cable end fitting 34, the length of the flexible connector being sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the processing machine so that the brake mechanism for the pay-off reel maintains a tension on the flexible connector and hence on the tail end of the coil as the latter exits from the reel and passes to the processing machine. A gripper release means 35 is provided at the processing machine for engaging the releasable wire gripper 31 to release the same from the tail end of the wire so that the feed mechanism 11 can continue to advance the wire through the processing machine.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the releasable wire gripper 31 includes a head 36 having a wire receiving groove extending thereinto from its forward end 36a, and wedge-type gripper jaws 38 for releasably gripping the end of the wire. The gripper jaws 38 have opposed faces 38a for receiving and gripping the wire therebetween and are slidably mounted in guideways 36b that converge toward the forward end of the gripper head. The graipper faces 38a can be flat, but are preferably knurled and may be grooved to improve gripping of the wire. The gripper jaws are yieldably biased as by springs 39-toward the forward end of the gripper head into their wire gripping position and the jaws are operative, when moved rearwardly relative to the gripper head to release the wire. A cover plate 40 overlies the gripper jaws and converging guideways to retain the gripper jaws in assembled relation on the head.

The flexible connector 32 can be a conventional multistrand flexible cable as illustrated and is wrapped around the reel as shown in FIG. 1 to unwind from the pay-off reel in the same direction as the wire in the coil. The end fitting 34 of the wire restrainer is herein shown provided with a depending leg or hook 34a which is adapted to be inserted through an opening in the reel to anchor the end of the restrainer on the reel.

The connector has a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the inlet end of the wire processing machine so that the brake mechanism which retards rotation of the reel during the pay-off of the wire coil from the reel, also functions to maintain tension on the flexible connector 32 of the wire restrainer to thereby tension the tail end of the coil as it exits from the reel and inhibit whipping of the coil end as it passes from the pay-off reel to the processing machine. The gripper release mechanism 35 is arranged to engage the wire gripper 31 to effect automatic release of the same. With the jaw type gripper illustrated, the release mechanism can conveniently be in the form of a tubular wire guide 41 which is dimensioned to allow loose passage of the wire therethrough, and which is rigidly anchored to the wire processing machine as by a bracket 42. The

wire guide 41 is preferably formed of a material such as tungsten carbide which is capable of withstanding the wear incident to continued passage of wire therethrough, and the guide 41 has a striker face 41a at its rear end arranged to engage the forward ends of the gripper jaws, when the gripper head reaches a position as shown in phantom in FIG. 1. The impact of the forward ends of the gripper jaws with the striker face 41a effects movement of the gripper jaws 38 rearwardly relative to the gripper head sufficient to release the wire and allow the wire end to be withdrawn from the gripper head by the feed mechanism for continued advance through the processing machine. At that time, the gripper head merely drops harmlessly to the floor.

From the foregoing it is throught that the method and apparatus for controlling pay-off of wire from the coil to a processing machine will be readily understood. The coil end restrainer is releasably clamped to the tail end of the coil and is wound around the wire pay-off reel and anchored at its other end to the reel so that the brake mechanism which retards rotation in the reel during normal pay-off of wire from the coil, further functions to maintain tension on the flexible connector and hence on the tail end of the coil as it passes from the reel to the wire processing machine. The flexible connector has a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the processing machine and the wedgetype gripper mechanism is arranged to cooperate with the striker at the processing machine to automatically release the gripper head from the restrainer and allow continued passage of the wire through the processing machine.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a wire pay-off apparatus for use with a processing machine having wire feed mechanism for withdrawing wire from the pay-off apparatus, the pay-off apparatus including a pay-off reel for supporting a coil of wire and having means mounting the reel for rotation and brake means for controlling rotation of the reel during pay-off of wire therefrom, the improvement comprising a restrainer for the tail end of the coil of wire on the reel, the restrainer including a wire gripper head having a forward end adapted to receive the tail end of the wire in the coil and wire gripper jaws movably mounted on said gripper head and yieldably biased forwardly relative to the head to a position gripping the tail end of the wire in the coil and operative when moved rearwardly relative to the head to release the wire, an elongated flexible connector having one end attached to said gripper head and the other end anchored on said pay-off reel, said flexible connector being adapted to be wrapped around said pay-off reel and to unwrap therefrom as the tail end of the wire exits from the payoff reel, said flexible connector having a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the processing machine whereby the brake means on the pay-off reel retards unwinding of the flexible connector from the pay-off reel and restrains whipping of the tail end of the wire as it passes from the pay-off reel to the processing machine, and gripper release means adjacent the wire inlet end of said processing machine engageable with said wire gripper jaws when the tail end of the wire reaches said gripper release means to release the wire gripper jaws from the tail end of the wire and allow continued advance of the wire by the wire feed mechanism of the processing machine.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wire gripper jaws have forward ends projecting forwardly from said forward end of the gripper head, and said gripper release means includes a wire guide for guidably receiving the wire and having a striker face at one end engageable with said forward ends of said gripper jaws as the tail end of the coil of wire passes through the wire guide 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said gripper head is of the wedge-type having guideways converging in a direction toward said forward end thereof for movably receiving said gripper jaws.

4. A method of controlling pay-off of wire from a coil to a processing machine having wire feed mechanism for withdrawing wire from the coil, the method comprising supporting the coil of wire on a rotatable wire pay-off reel, attaching a releasable wire gripper to the tail end of the wire in the coil and anchoring the wire gripper to the reel with an elongated flexible connector wrapped around the reel to unwind therefrom in the same direction as the wire in the coil, the elongated flexible connector having a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to a point adjacent the processing machine, controlling rotation of the pay-off reel to control tension in the wire as it unwinds from the reel and to maintain tension on the flexible connector as the tail end of the coil of wire exits from the reel to restrain whipping of the wire end, and releasing the gripper from the wire when the tail end of the wire reaches a location adjacent the processing machine. 

1. In a wire pay-off apparatus for use with a processing machine having wire feed mechanism for withdrawing wire from the pay-off apparatus, the pay-off apparatus including a pay-off reel for supporting a coil of wire and having means mounting the reel for rotation and brake means for controlling rotation of the reel during pay-off of wire therefrom, the improvement comprising a restrainer for the tail end of the coil of wire on the reel, the restrainer including a wire gripper head having a forward end adapted to receive the tail end of the wire in the coil and wire gripper jaws movably mounted on said gripper head and yieldably biased forwardly relative to the head to a position gripping the tail end of the wire in the coil and operative when moved rearwardly relative to the head to release the wire, an elongated flexible connector having one end attached to said gripper head and the other end anchored on said pay-off reel, said flexible connector being adapted to be wrapped around said pay-off reel and to unwrap therefrom as the tail end of the wire exits from the pay-off reel, said flexible connector having a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to the processing machine whereby the brake means on the pay-off reel retards unwinding of the flexible connector from the pay-off reel and restrains whipping of the tail end of the wire as it passes from the pay-off reel to the processing machine, and gripper release means adjacent the wire inlet end of said processing machine engageable with said wire gripper jaws when the tail end of the wire reaches said gripper release means to release the wire gripper jaws from the tail end of the wire and allow continued advance of the wire by the wire feed mechanism of the processing machine.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wire gripper jaws have forward ends projecting forwardly from said forward end of the gripper head, and said gripper release means includes a wire guide for guidably receiving the wire and having a striker face at one end engageable with said forward ends of said gripper jaws as the tail end of the coil of wire passes through the wire guide.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said gripper head is of the wedge-type having guideways converging in a direction toward said forward end thereof for movably receiving said gripper jaws.
 4. A method of controlling pay-off of wire from a coil to a processing machine having wire feed mechanism for withdrawing wire from the coil, the method comprising supporting the coil of wire on a rotatable wire pay-off reel, attaching a releasable wire gripper to the tail end of the wire in the coil and anchorIng the wire gripper to the reel with an elongated flexible connector wrapped around the reel to unwind therefrom in the same direction as the wire in the coil, the elongated flexible connector having a length sufficient to extend from the pay-off reel to a point adjacent the processing machine, controlling rotation of the pay-off reel to control tension in the wire as it unwinds from the reel and to maintain tension on the flexible connector as the tail end of the coil of wire exits from the reel to restrain whipping of the wire end, and releasing the gripper from the wire when the tail end of the wire reaches a location adjacent the processing machine. 